Classical Education Assessment

Today I spoke with Laurie Detweiler, co-owner of Veritas Press and co-creator of the Veritas Academy in Lancaster, PA. The purpose of our conversation was for me to better understand how to place a child/adult into the classical curriculum. Because each person is going to be coming in from the side at different levels. Here, I have posted the notes from our conversation.

Once a child is accepted into the academy, the child needs to do their best to catch up (during the summer, etc...). There are a variety of assessment tests that the academy supplies.

They use an in-house reading/writing exam, based on Alice in Wonderland, and a Latin/Greek exam based on what their most recent assignment at their previous school. For math, they use the Saxon placment exam. They also give the student the Shurely grammar exam of their previous year.

Here's the curriculum guide used at the Veritias Academy in Lancaster, PA. They used to charge $150 for this guide. But they decided to give it away for free to share the curriculum to others who cannot/decide not to send their children to the academy.

For adults seeking remediation (myself included), she suggested that they start with the following curriculum:

Generally 7th grade level materials
Omnibus I: Biblical and Classical Civilizations
Wheelock's Latin
Shurley Seven Gramar
Introductory Logic
Basics of Biblical Greek
Saxon Math (depending on level of expertise)

Another resource that she pointed me to was the Association of Classical & Christian Schools. She suggested that we consider going to the conference this year in Memphis on June 23-25. I think we will probably go to the conference eventually, but probably not this year.